His wife and children played along with the prank, with his daughter posting a tribute to her father on social media, lamenting his passing. They were the only ones in the family who knew he was actually alive. David Baerton arrived to the funeral with a camera in hand, as another Tiktoker, @el.tiktokeur2, filmed friends and family members run out and greet him tearfully.
The videos posted of funeral-goers have only garnered 1.5 million views and 463.3 thousand views respectively. Certainly, renting a helicopter is not worth those numbers.
David claims he went through with the prank because he felt unappreciated by his family and was often excluded from family events. He wanted them to learn not to “wait until someone is dead to meet up with them.”
While only half of his family members attended the funeral, the other half have reached out to him since the ordeal. David says “so in a way I won.”
Naturally, the prank created backlash online, with some viewers calling it “pure narcissism” and saying he created instant bad karma for himself.
Other viewers posit, however, that the whole thing is a sketch. This too seems like a possibility, as it appears funeral goers are wearing t-shirts, shorts, and bright colors to what is usually a solemn and formal event.
